Here's To The Future
by AGoldenCharm
Summary: The end of the school year is drawing to a close, and Mike, Tina, Blaine, and Kurt have some serious decisions to make.


Mike's locker is getting more and more cluttered despite the fact that the end of the school year is rapidly approaching. It worries him a little that there are so many wadded up sheets of paper, half-used notebooks, and miscellaneous candy bars that it's hard to reach and find his textbooks at this point. He sighs, tracing a finger along the cold metal of his locker and smiling faintly at the row of pictures that are taped carefully side by side.

The first three of the series of photos are Tina's yearbook pictures, freshmen year to junior year. She's beaming in all three and it makes him swell with happiness to see the soft twinkle in her eyes, even though he knows cameras don't usually capture that kind of thing. Maybe he's just imagining it at this point; he knows the gentle creases at the corners of her eyes when she lights up with laughter, the smile lines that frame her mouth when she can't control her excitement. And the rest of the photos are a collection of snapshots he's taken from his iPhone that he's printed off his computer- most of them are photos of the two of them making faces at the camera with their cheeks pressed up against each other, while some of them are snapshots of Tina singing in Glee Club or casting him cheesy smiles, knowing he's trying to catch her on camera. Each and every single one of them holds an unforgettable memory, and that makes him almost too nostalgic to bear.

"Mike."

He snaps his gaze away from the photos of Tina and finds Blaine standing next to him, a wave of anxiety washing over his eyes.

"Hey Blaine, I- are you okay?"

"I think... I think Kurt is cheating on me," Blaine breathes, barely able to allow the words move past his lips.

"You- Kurt- _what_? Are you sure?" Mike gapes, closing his locker and leaning against it, eyes widening with concern, "How do you know? Did you... did you catch him or something?"

Blaine takes a deep breath, biting his lip, "Well, no. I don't think he's been hooking up with someone or anything... But he's been on his phone constantly and every time he gets a text that's clearly not from me I can see him blush and giggle and it- it just reminds me of when we first started going out. He always gets all flustered when he's flirting and I just... I know that look."

"Oh," Mike frowns, feeling deflated. The last thing he wants is for Blaine and Kurt to be experiencing relationship problems.

"You probably don't think it counts as cheating, but I-"

"-Yes, I do," Mike interrupts firmly, "I think cheating is anything you wouldn't want your significant other to find out about, any type of relationship you might be hiding from him or her. Blaine, if you really think Kurt is cheating on you, you should find him and talk to him."

"I- I know," Blaine groans, toying with the buttons on his cardigan with defeat etched across his face, "I guess I've just been avoiding any real conversations with him lately."

"Why?"

Blaine is quiet for a moment as he glances at the clock at the end of the hallway, presumably to make sure they weren't going to miss their next classes, "Mike... have you and Tina talked about what you two will do after you graduate?"

Mike presses his lips together, understanding the direction of this conversation, "A little," he replies carefully, "Neither of us are willing to end our relationship."

"I figured," he says weakly with the smallest shadow of a smile, "You two have been dating for so long- I couldn't even imagine the two of you splitting up. But don't... don't you think that will be hard on you guys? Especially Tina?"

"Especially _Tina_?" Mike laughs almost humorlessly, "Blaine, I'm still waiting on my college decisions, but I know wherever I'll be next year, I'll be pining away for her every waking moment and dreaming of her every minute I'm asleep. I can't speak for her, but I can guarantee you it will be one of the hardest things I will ever have to endure."

"I just- I can't stop thinking about how miserable I'm going to be when he's gone next year, y'know?" Blaine heaves a long sigh, "He's probably gonna get into NYADA- he's too talented not to. But New York is miles and miles away and I don't know if I can deal with a long distance relationship."

The warning bell rings, signaling that there are two minutes left before class is due to start. Mike claps a hand on Blaine's shoulder with an understanding nod, "Just talk to Kurt, okay? I'm sure there's been a misunderstanding or something."

Blaine huffs in frustration as they depart for class together, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right."

* * *

Tina's lap is blissfully warm and inviting and it takes a great deal of effort not to fall asleep in it as she fiddles absently with his hair and hums under her breath. Neither of them are dressed and they're both still panting a little from their most recent... activities.

"I told you I could do it," Tina says breathlessly after rehooking her bra, a pleased smile playing across her lips.

"I never doubted it," he murmurs, looking up at her from her lap with a smirk.

"What? You said you didn't think I was flexible enough!"

"I know. I just wanted you to feel the need to prove me wrong."

This earns him a playful smack across his arm but he can't help but grin, knowing it was totally worth it.

They're quiet for a while as Tina pins her hair up in a bun, and he watches as a couple of strands fall gently around her face. _Goddamn, she's gorgeous._

"Blaine approached me today," Mike pipes up suddenly.

"Mike, as much as I love Blaine, he's not exactly what I want to be talking about after-"

"He thinks Kurt is cheating on him."

"_What_?" Tina's jaw drops instantly, "You can't be serious!"

"Not like... having sex with other guys or making out with someone else or anything. But like hiding flirty texts or something."

"Now that you mention it, Kurt has been giggling over his phone quite a bit lately. I just assumed it was Blaine on the other end," she says thoughtfully.

"Blaine says he's worried it's because he's been acting sort of aloof lately. Since Kurt's graduating and everything."

Mike can hear Tina's breath hitch at these words and they both know where this conversation is going. Suddenly, it's no longer just about Kurt and Blaine.

"You're getting your decisions in a week, aren't you?" Tina says softly, running her hand along the side of his face, looking down at him with a distinctly forlorn expression in her eyes.

"I am."

Mike, thanks to the help of Tina, has applied to three performing arts schools- two of which are in New York and the third of which is Ohio State's Theater program. He's also applied to a couple of other state schools' liberal arts programs, just to be safe, in case his plans to pursue dancing don't pan out. His decisions are due in less than a week, and he's been getting more and more on edge about them, and it's been showing in their relationship- especially because they tend to replace their silent frustration with sex. Which means that the kinks in his neck and the three or four pulled muscles have nothing to do with football practice and a lot more to do with the fact that Tina seems to get exponentially more flexible each time their clothes come off.

"Mike..." Tina begins, "You know that if you get into Tisch's or AMDA's dance programs, I will _never_ let you pick Ohio State over them?"

Mike can feel his body tense at these words. He knows Tina would sooner jump into a gorge than allow him to prioritize their relationship over his future career, but he just can't imagine wanting to travel hundreds of miles away for college when a viable option rests in their own state. But it's his dream to dance, and if he wants to perform at Carnegie Hall one day, he knows he needs a program of higher prestige.

"I know," he responds reluctantly, gazing up at her and reaching for her hand, "And that's why you're the most amazing girlfriend ever."

She smiles sadly, "I wish I could be the horrible girlfriend that begs for you to stay."

He brings her hand up to his lips to kiss it, "Unfortunately, you'll just have to live with the title of 'girlfriend of the year'. Sorry love."

"It's gonna be hard," her voice cracks a little as she reaches for her t-shirt, which he had carelessly tossed aside when stripping her down less than forty-five minutes ago. She pulls it over her head slowly, "I don't know what I'm going to do every day without you here."

"Maybe I won't get into Tisch or AMDA," he comments offhandedly sitting upright and catching her wrists before she manages to successfully put her shirt back on. With a small grin, he eases her shirt back off and coaxes her to lie next to him, despite the small noise of protest she makes.

"Don't say that," she breathes as they touch foreheads. Their bodies are centimeters away from each other on her bed and their toes dance at the foot of the bed and he can smell the intoxicating but faint scent of fresh laundry and whatever Tina's house always smells like- some mysterious combination of homemade Asian food and flowers.

"I don't wanna go," Mike sighs, tangling his free hand with hers.

"You and I both know you deserve to be chasing your dream," she says firmly, "And who knows? Maybe I'll be out there next year too, chasing _my_ dream..."

A small smile breaks out across his face despite the heavy weight in his heart, "You will be. You'll be at Tisch or NYADA or wherever you want because you'll get in everywhere. And if you still want me by then-"

"-Of course I will!"

"-If you still want me by then, we can go to Broadway shows together and have picnics in Central Park and maybe even one day get an apartment together-"

He stops abruptly, realizing that he's gone a bit too far into the future. There's no way they'd be able to live together until her _sophomore _year in college, and that's assuming they'll still be together and both in New York at that point in time.

Tina, being the heartbreakingly perfect woman she is, simply beams and kisses his nose, causing an explosion of fireworks to go off in his head, "That sounds perfect."

Unable to contain his smile at this point, Mike wraps her in his arms, nestling his chin in her hair, "I guess we'll have to make the most out of these last few weeks of school. And this summer."

"And we can always call each other and Skype when you're away," she says quietly, "And every time you come back for Thanksgiving break or holiday break or any other break- I'll be the first face you see at the airport terminal."

Sometimes, Mike has to actually stop and wonder how he managed to end up with the most incredible girl out there.

"I love you," he sighs.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Mike counts four times by now that he's looked back at Blaine during Kurt's performance during Glee Club rehearsal. Turns out Kurt _had_ been texting someone- some guy name Chandler, Blaine had explained in disgust- and Blaine had quite shamelessly gone up and performed a Whitney song that reeked of infidelity. Everyone in the choir room had looked confused out of their minds but Mike hadn't been able to stop glancing at Blaine and Kurt, wondering when this would finally get fixed.

The fifth time Mike glances back at Blaine, Blaine catches his eye and closes his eyes for the briefest of moments, as though debating within his head how to handle the situation. Mike tries his best to wordlessly pass on a message to convince Blaine to take Kurt's song to heart.

Kurt's strong counteralto voice echoes in the room as the last of the song tapers off, and Mike has his fingers crossed behind his back that Blaine and Kurt will manage to get through this.

Because if there's anything he sees most in Kurt and Blaine's relationship, it's his own relationship with Tina, mirrored hazily by theirs and the last thing he wants to see is Blaine and Kurt fall apart.

* * *

Mike's got his fingers locked tightly with Tina's as they sip their coffees together at the coffee shop, unable to tear his gaze away from her. It seems as though they've grown more and more quiet, despite the talks they've been having about the future and despite the fact that they're both trying their hardest to make the most out of these last couple of weeks at school. His cappuccino tastes sickly sweet but he drinks it anyway, silently running his thumb along the back of her hand.

"My mom got me a yoga mat yesterday," Tina finally breaks the silence, a hint of a smile appearing.

"Uh..."

"Well, I figure since we always somehow manage to end up on the floor and half my house is furnished with hardwood..."

Mike chuckles, "I'm guessing your mom didn't buy you the mat for that reason?"

"Nah," she shrugs, "She and I are going to take yoga classes together at the community fitness center."

"Oh."

"But I'm pretty sure I saw her wink at me when she handed it to me last night after dinner. Thank god my dad wasn't in the room."

"Oh my god," Mike claps a hand over his mouth, blushing instantly, "I will never not be mortified by how much your mom seems to know about our sex lives."

Tina grins, "I mean, I don't like it much either, but I'd rather have her than a mom who freaks out over the fact that I may or may not be engaging in sexual activities with my boyfriend."

"Yeah, I guess. But did she really have to leave a box of condoms on your desk that one time?" Mike mumbles, still flustered at even the thought of it.

"Better safe than sorry," Tina quips, taking a gulp of her coffee.

Mike is just about to say something in desperate embarrassment when Kurt and Blaine appear at their table, coffees in tow and hands intertwined. Which could only mean...

"You guys made up!" Tina gushes instantly at the sight of the renewed happiness across the two boys' faces.

"Yeah," Kurt sighs dramatically, "We couldn't stay mad at each other for too long. Mind if we join you two?"

"Not at all," Mike nods, scooting his chair closer to Tina to allow room for the two new chairs that Blaine's dragging toward them.

"What can I say?" Blaine grins, "I'm too cute to stay mad at for too long," he leans in toward Tina and whispers quite audibly, "And I knew just what to do to fix the problem."

"Yes, Blaine complimented my outfit like a true gentleman," Kurt drinks his coffee in a dignified manner.

Blaine leans back in his chair, smirking, "Plus I bet the dirty texts and the quickie in the janitor's closet helped quite a bit."

"Aw man do you really have to-" Mike squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block the thought from his head while the other three share a laugh. Despite being a little bit scarred for life, Mike finds himself becoming more and more happy that Blaine and Kurt have finally made amends.

"And you guys talked about next year?" Tina asks reasonably, cocking her head to the side.

"Yeah," Blaine links his hand with Kurt's, "I'll sit at home in my pajamas while eating chocolate and Skyping Kurt, praying that I don't gain fifteen pounds by the time he gets back to Lima from all the comfort food I'm sure I'll be consuming."

Tina grins, "Cheers to that. I've already picked out my top five junk foods I'll need to always keep in stock at my house when Mike's gone next year. You're welcome to share the mountains of Goldfish, white chocolate chip cookies, Kit Kat bars, Doritos, and Nutella that will be guaranteed to reside in my pantry from here on out."

"Oh my god, deal!" Blaine laughs, "I'll bring over sappy DVDs and we can watch them together on Friday nights while everyone is out partying or going out on dates."

"Oh! We should make a list of sad movies and make it our goal to finish all of them before Kurt and Mike get back at the end of the year!" Tina claps her hands together in excitement.

Mike shakes his head, chuckling, "Sounds like you two are no longer gonna be sad about us leaving," he exchanges an amused glance with Kurt.

"Of course we'll be sad," Tina retorts briskly, "But we'll nurse our sorrows with calories and rom coms until you guys get back. Ooooh! We should also invest in tequila on Valentine's Day," she turns back to Blaine, her eyes lighting up, "While everyone is at Breadstix gushing over their Valentine's dates, we'll be competing to see who can take more shots before passing out in front of _A Walk to Remember_."

Mike's eyes widen, alarmed, "Uhh can you try not to get alcohol poisoning while we're gone?"

Kurt frowns, "Yes, the last thing I want is to get a call in the middle of a rehearsal telling me that my boyfriend is getting his stomach pumped in the emergency room."

"We're not actually going to drink ourselves into oblivion," Blaine says pointedly, "We'll just have enough to blur the pain that Valentine's Day is sure to bring."

Mike places an arm around Tina's shoulders, kissing her briefly on the temple, "Who knows? Maybe Kurt and I will manage to come back for Valentine's Day. It falls on a Friday next year, did you know that?"

Tina looks up at him, surprised, "What? Really?"

"Yeah," he grins, "I checked already. So maybe I'll catch a flight out after classes get out on Friday and we can spend Valentine's Day together. The way it should be."

The way Tina's face breaks out in a breathtakingly gorgeous smile makes Mike want to kiss her senseless right then and there, but last time they had gotten a little too frisky at The Lima Bean, the manager had approached them and insisted that it was a family place and if they couldn't keep their hands to themselves, they would be banned from the coffee shop for an entire month. So he keeps his hands to himself.

"As long as by 'together' you don't mean all four of us," Kurt says absently, glancing over at Blaine with his eyebrow quirked, "If I come back to Lima on February 14th, you can bet I'll be spending every possible minute with Blaine- and the last thing I'll want to do is seeing the two of you practically on top of each other."

Tina smiles wickedly, "Still not over last Friday?"

_What was last Friday?_ Mike ponders to himself.

It becomes clear what Tina is referring to when Kurt folds his arms in a huff, "I'm just _saying_, I know I go into the girls' bathroom sometimes when Rachel or Mercedes or whoever is having a crisis, but it's just _weird _to see you in the men's bathroom. I mean, _really_? That's... that's not even _sexy_."

Mike can feel the color creeping back up to his cheeks again.


End file.
